Skywatcher Heritage 130p Flexitube - how do you use yours?

[trynda1701]

I'm thinking of getting one of the small alt-az Skywatchers, either the 100p or the Heritage 130p Flexitube as a grab and go. Both are obviously tabletop designs, but the 100p can be put on a photo tripod, unlike the 130p.

But with the Flexitube being a larger mirror, it's probably the one I'll go for. So my question is, how do people use theirs? What do people use when they don't have an available table? Has anyone tried to put them on some sort of tripod? Storage box or a pedestal?

What do you do to alleviate the low height of the 130p?

Mark

[Cornelius Varley]

On a picnic table - a bit wobbly, a Supatrack mount or an AZ4 mount.

[trynda1701]

If anyone has an exotic solution, I'd love to see photos.

Mark

[Schorhr]

Hello Mark,

I would vote for the 130p, it is the telescope I use most these days :-)

I would not get the 100p as it has an aperture ratio of f/4 (Needs to be polarized very well to be good, coma is an issue, cheap eyepieces will not be sharp outside the center).

So the 130p will not only show more due to aperture but is most likely the better design overall.

The open tube can be closed with cardboard which slides inside for storage.

You are probably spoiled by your C8, so if planets are your main thing, a 127mm Maksutov might be another solution? I don't know about the 127mm Mak, but the smaller 102mm Mak can be used on a (sturdy!) camera tripod and both fit in a backpack a bit more easily then the 130p :-)

Also I compared my 130p (as far as I can tell I have one with a decent mirror) to my fiancee's 102mm Mak, and while the 130p beats the Mak when observing deep sky objects, the Mak slightly wins when viewing planets, regarding contrast, compared at around 100-200x, but both showed about the same level of details.

As for the 130p's height, I use several solutions depending on the circumstances:

-A very low camping stool, www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-Folding-Chair-Collapsible-Tripod-Stool-Seat-Camping-Garden-BBQ-Picnic-/300959710213?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item461298bc05

-A isolated seat pad to sit or kneel on in spring/summer http://www.ebay.de/itm/Outdoor-Portable-Foam-Folding-Seat-Dampproof-Cushion-Camping-Garden-Chair-Pads-/310915124073?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4863fc4b69 (I have a round one from IKEA) - if the grass is wet or the ground too cold

-A table or small stairs on the balcony, or when taking it by car

-Two beverage / beer crates. stacked

-A (self build box) that doubles as back frame backpack, transport box and as table for the telescope

-Any "natural" elevation such as big rocks, walls, steps...

-I use a Nexstar SLT Goto mount, got it for around 159£ (Amazon germany), sometimes you can get it for 170£ including a 90mm Maksutov on warehouse-deals

You can find a post on SGL where someone adapted a tripod to the base of the heritage, too.

So a lot of options, it is not a perfect scope, but there is a solution to every problem :-)

[Schorhr]

As I can not edit my post anymore now: Excuse the many typos and strange teems, as an example, auto correct changed parabolized to polarized :-)

[andyb505]

I have tried it on a small (folding) wooden table and standing next to it and on the floor with a camping chair. The first method works well but can be uncomfortable after a while whilst the second method is more comfortable but makes using the finder more difficult as you have to crouch down to use it! So still experimenting.

Andrew

[AndyWB]

I set it on the floor, and sit next to it on a low(ish) camping seat. Always have. Even though I've now got a tripod that'd take it nicely (AZ4), I'm not inclined to change

[AlexB67]

I use a my fold up garden table or chair. Often I just sit on the ground with it.  As Andy said, an AZ4 or tripod of sorts would probably be best.

It is a lovely scope, though personally not inclined to buy or invest much in it in at this stage in terms of  mount, the main reason being that the focuser is limited to 1.25 inch eyepieces, something to bear in mind, because of that I got around to thinking to get the small 6 inch  f/5 OO OK or something like that.   Still small enough as a real grab and go and accepts the 2 inch format for luvly jubbly low power wide views. I had my eyes on something like this

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=74684

as an example. 

[AndyWB]

I'm not sure I do think a tripod is best. It is if you wanted to raise it up, but to be honest, well, I sit to observe anyway.

[happy-kat]

On upside down flower pot and a low folding stool for sitting on.

I also have an adjustable height shower stool I sit the heritage on but being 4 legs it needs a level ground for that one.

[trynda1701]

Finally got out briefly again last night to properly use my recently purchased Heritage 130P!

First time out, a few weeks ago, scope on the ground and camping chair to sit on. Works well with scope at low power, but hard to use the red dot finder. I've been trying to see about a RACI finder instead of a Telrad or Rigel as they will still be awkward like the RDF. Unfortunately, per FLO, the Skywatcher 9x50 RACI on thier site won't fit the finder shoe the RDF uses.

Last night, scope on stable chair, so higher, but still a bit contorted to use the red dot finder. Still getting used to one of those, and the just past Full Moon was washing out a LOT of stars in the hazy sky (been sunny most of the day, but I thought I was going to lose out near dusk).

But the Moon was very nicely seen, even away from the terminator, the detail seen in the maria and the bigger crater had me just generally observing for over an hour. Even with the standatd Skywatcher eyepieces and my Celestron 25mm  and Japanese unbranded 40mm and 9mm Kellner eyepieces, coupled with the Skywatcher Barlow, the views were sharp, if narrow AFOV.

As the haze was washing out a lot of stars (even with eyes shielded from street lights, it was hard to make out the Plough!), I tried a few obvious doubles (Mizar/Alcor and Albeiro) to test me using the RDF. As I said, practice is indicated!

As my'grab and go' set up though, I was up and running in 5 mins after everything assembed quicky indoors. So that criteria has been met over my C8!

Next up, saving some pennies to maybe get some better quality eyepieces. Any recommendations for this scope, remembering I'm broke at present!

Mark

[happy-kat]

I use my 16mm maxvision the most. Perhaps with saving for.

[Schorhr]

Budget

overview eyepiece

30/32mm Plössl (Seben 14£ but doesn't have a eyecup, can be built out of pipe isolation foam)

and/or 20mm erfle eyepiece (19-20£, smaller exit pupil ideal if you are close to the city.)

40mm 1.25" Plössl doesn't make much sense, small field of view, too large exit pupil, and same field as a 32mm.

If on a tight budget, stick with the 25mm kit ep.

'Deepsky eyepiece' (2-3mm exit pupil)

12 22€ erfle or 12-15mm "goldline" 66degree apparent field of view

"Planet eyepiece"

Modified 6mm gold line 66degree, you can modify it to around 3-4mm.

HR Planetary from 35£ or so works better, TMB explorer or ts ed if you can afford it.

If your barlow is an achromatic one, does it add noticable color fringe/chromatuc aberration? I have the Seben 2x achromatic barlow, very decent for 11£, not as good as a eyepiece for high mag.

6mm plössl might work for you, costs less then 10£, but the eye relief is verrrry short. I have the 4mm seben plössl, the short eye relief makes unusable IMHO.

A bit cheaper would be 30mm plössl, 10mm and 2mm barlow, but I would save a bit instead.

The 3x meade/bresser barlow (17£) I have has horrible chromatic aberration.

If you want better eyepieces, especially at f/5, you could take a look at the explore scientific 82deg eyepieces.

[Digger1895]

I currently have mine on an EQ mount, it's lovely and smooth, use the slo-mo controls instead of nudging, only roughly aligned for visual, nil vibration etc but am going to put it back on its Dob mount because it's much easier to use the RDF and good eyepiece viewing angle.

I stand by a small table so that you can get to the eyepiece from any side. I've also got setting circles around the base and use a digital angle device on my phone to locate things. Although the setting circles were just paper printed and blu-tacked to the base I'm amazed at how accurate they are. I normally get the target in my 32mm EP. Most ipad apps give co-ordinates in alt/az as well as ra/dec.

But being so portable oven ever had any trouble finding somewhere to put it or me wherever I've taken it.

[Lux1]

This is how I used to use mine, it worked very well!